Under section 68 of the Local Government Act 1993, an Approval to Operate an On-Site Sewage Management System is required. Albury City Council will require the owner of the property to apply for approval in the following circumstances:
- For new systems installed – following final inspection by Council to ensure the system is installed and functioning as it is meant to be;
- For a property that has an existing system that is sold – the new owner may continue to operate the existing system for a period of up to three (3) months but an application to Council must be lodged (by the new owner) within two (2) months of completion of the sale;
- Modification of current system – if you intent to modify the current system in place, and;
- Following initial inspection and risk rating by Council– while rolling out this On-Site Sewage Management Plan, Council will initially inspect each system to check compliance with the performance standards and the risk the system poses to the environment and public health. Following the initial inspection, the owner will need to apply for an approval.
An approval to operate will be issued with an expiry date that is commensurate with the risk rating of the system.
It is an offence under the Local Government Act 1993 to undertake work to install/construct or operate an on-site sewage management system without prior written approval from Council.